Journey around the world to some of the most challenging and remote spots on Earth in this stunningly illustrated book that celebrates human ingenuity, community, and the people who call these places home.

Would you be lonely living atop a steep, snowbound mountain or bored in a tiny island village Could you find your way home through a dense jungle or a blinding desert sandstorm Our planet has many places where everyday life is made difficult by severe climates, isolation, or natural forces such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Yet in these secluded locations, families learn how to band together and rely on each other, and this spirit of teamwork helps to sustain extreme living.

Master of cut-paper collage artwork Giles Laroche transports readers to the world’s most extreme places through his exquisite illustrations and succinct explorations of what it takes to survive and thrive there.

List of places included:

Tristan da Cunha

Sahara Desert

Mentawai Islands

Verkhoyansk, Siberia

Isla Navarino

Spiti Valley

Goreme Cappadocia

Floating Islands of the Uros

Atafu Atoll

Gobi Desert

Agoashima

Socotra

Atka